1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a detergent composition containing a surfactant, a builder, a fabric softener component comprising a tertiary amine, and a layer silicate. 2. Discussion of Related Art:
Numerous proposals have been put forward with a view to incorporating in fabric detergents a softening component which fabrics take up during the washing process and, in doing so, are given a better, softer feel. The cationic compounds most commonly used to soften fabrics in the rinse cycle of a wash program cannot be used in detergents containing typical anionic surfactants because the cationic softeners react with the anionic surfactants to form ineffective compounds. Accordinly, there has been no shortage of attempts to replace the cationic softeners by nonionic softeners which do not react with anionic surfactants. However, nonionic softeners generally do not have the effectiveness of known cationic softeners. Clay-like layer silicates of the smectite type are described as a fabric softening component for detergent compositions containing anionic surfactants in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,966,629 and 4,062,647. However, detergents containing clay-like materials have tendentially poorer detergency levels. According to the teaching of European patent specification 11 340, this disadvantage is obviated by using a combination of a certain class of tertiary amines and smectites as a softening component. Earlier-filled European patent application 86/109 717.8 describes smectite-like synthetic layer silicates which have an incrustation-inhibiting effect in standard detergent compositions. These smectite-like synthetic layer silicates do not have a pronounced softening power.